Transporting device

ABSTRACT

A fork lift type device for attachment to a three point hitch of a tractor and having a hydraulic cylinder connected to the upper point of the hitch for controlling the tilt of the fork lift. A vertical frame forms a base for supporting horizontally extending fork members. A vertically disposed square sleeve is rigidly affixed to the frame and a post member is received in one end of the sleeve. A pin selectively affixes the sleeve and post members together. The top of the post member has an apertured plate extending in one direction, for connection to the hydraulic cylinder, and a clevis structure extends in an opposite direction for allowing connection to a conventional three point hitch upper rod when the post member is turned 180 degrees. The sleeve member is open at each end so as to receive the post member in either end to thereby facilitate the turning of the fork lift structure over and thereby allowing a higher lifting capability to the fork lift.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to transporting devices and moreparticularly to a fork lift type of transporting device and a controltherefor for attachment to a three point hitch of a tractor.

On the farm there are numerous bulky items such as large hay bales, feedbunks, fencing materials, hog feeders, pallets, etc., which need to bemoved from place to place and which could probably be moved by fork lifttrucks of the type normally used in warehouses. Since these fork lifttrucks are very specialized pieces of equipment, the expense ofobtaining and owning such equipment usually cannot be justified on anaverage farm. Since nearly every farming operation has at least onetractor, it has been found that fork lift type devices can be mounted onthe three point hitch of such an agricultural tractor to thereby have alifting and transporting capability without such a high additionalexpense. One problem, however, with placing a fork lift device on atractor three point hitch is that the fork automatically tilts going upand down and there is no tilt control. Such a tilt control is needed toinsure that the load will stay on the fork lift during transportationand yet be able to tilt for specilized loading and unloading situations.

Also, fork lift devices for use on a tractor three point hitch normallyhave a limited lifing height, limited by the height that the three pointhitch will move upwardly. In some applications, however, there is a needfor a slightly higher lifting capability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a fork lift apparatus to be used inconjunction with a three point hitch of a tractor. A mechanism isprovided for allowing the connection of a hydraulic cylinder to theupper point of a three point hitch to facilitate controlling of the tiltangle of the fork lift apparatus, or for allowing connection of the forklift apparatus to a normal three point connection without the hydrauliccylinder tilt control. The fork lift apparatus is also constructed suchthat it may be turned over and connected to a three point hitch so as topermit the forks of the lift to go higher than normal.

An object of the present invention is to provide a tilt control for afork lift on a tractor's three point hitch.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fork lift which isadaptable to lift higher than conventional three point hitch fork typelifts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fork lift which isversatile enough to work on a normal three point hitch, but which isalso adaptable for use with the hydraulic tilt control of the presentinvention.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a fork liftfor an agricultural tractor which is reliable, but yet economical tomanufacture.

Other objects, advantages, novel features of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description of the inventionwhen considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective, slightly exploded, view of a fork liftaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the present invention connected toan agricultural tractor with the fork lift device in a transportingposition;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the present invention, but notusing a tilt control;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the present invention shown on anagricultural tractor in the process of lifting a feed bunk;

FIG. 6 shows the fork lift apparatus connected to a tractor three pointhitch to obtain a maximum lifting capability;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the present invention arranged asshown in FIG. 6, but shown connected an agricultural tractor and liftinga feed bunk;

FIG. 8 shows a modified perspective view of the present invention withadditional forks for lifting stacks of hay and the like; and

FIG. 9 shows the fork lift device of the present invention with the tiltcontrol tilting the fork downwardly to facilitate loading and unloading.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designateidentical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1shows a transporting device 10 in accordance with the present invention.

A laterally extending frame 11 serves as a base for the transportingdevice 10 and has a lower extending member 12 thereon. Longitudinallyextending forks 13 project from each end of the laterally extendingframe 11.

A sleeve 14 is attached to the laterally extending frame 11, such as bywelding, and is of a square configuration in crosssection. The sleeve 14is open at each end and is adapted to selectively receive a post member16 in one end or the other. Normally the post member 16 is received intothe top of the sleeve 14 and a pin 17 is disposed through each of thesleeves 14 and the post member 16 so as to selectively prevent movementof these two members with respect to each other when the pin is sodisposed. A cotter key 18 insures that the pin 17 does not vibrate fromits holding position.

FIG. 5 shows a tractor 19 having a conventional three point hitchmechanism 21 which consists basically of two parallel draft arms 22 andan upper bar 23. Also associated with the three point hitch mechanismare control arms 24 which are attached to each of the draft arms 22 by alinks 26. The control arms 24 control the raising and lowering of thedraft arms 22 by use of a control lever (not shown) conventionallylocated within reach of the tractor operator. Pins 27 on each end of thelaterally extending frame 11 (FIG. 1) serve to pivotally attach thetransporting device 10 to the draft arms 22.

The post member 16, though adjustable vertically, has four basicpositions. In FIGS. 1-3 the post member 16 is so disposed in the sleeve14 such that the single plate 28 extends forwardly in the direction ofthe tractor. The plate 28 has a central aperture therein which isadapted to mate with a clevis-like structure, such as that of ahydraulic cylinder. When the post member 16 is turned 180°, aclevis-like structure 29 extends forwardly towards the tractor and isideally suited to connect with a conventional bar such as bar 23 of thethree point hitch 21 (FIGS. 4 and 5). A pin 31 forms a pivotalconnection between the clevis-like structure 29 and the bar 23.

It will be understood by persons skilled in the art that when the forklift transporting device 10 is moved from a lower position to an upperposition that it will automatically change its tilting angle. While thischange of tilting angle may be desirable in certain instances, it isquite often desirable to be able to change the angle of tiltindependently of the height that the device 10 has been lifted. In orderto provide such a tilt control, a hydraulic cylinder 32 is used toreplace the conventional bar 23 (FIG. 4). The hydraulic cylinder 32(FIG. 2), is pivotally attached to the upper point 33 of the tractorthree point hitch 21 by a pin 34 (FIG. 2). The other end of thehydraulic cylinder 32 has a clevis 35 thereon which forms a pivotalconnection with plate 28 and the pin 36.

In the arrangement shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 which has only theconventional bar 23 in the connection to the three point hitch oftractor 19, it can be seen in FIG. 5 how an object such as a feed bunk37 can be lifted and thereby transported from place to place.

FIGS. 1-3 and 9 show the transporting device 10 having the hydrauliccylinder 32 in the three point hitch connection of tractor 19, such thatthe forks 13 can be moved or tilted from a position as shown in FIG. 9,tilting downwardly, to a position such as shown in FIG. 3 wherein theforks 13 are tilting upwardly. This tilt control is easily accomplishedby the above referred to valve control adjacent to the tractor operator.

Additionally, there are sometimes situations wherein a slightly higherlift is needed and wherein it is not imperative that the forks 13 areinitially parallel with the ground. Such a circumstance is depicted inFIG. 7 wherein it is desired to move a feed bunk at a time when the feedlot is very muddy. In such circumstances, the tractor would sink deeplyinto the ground and there would be an insufficient amount of liftavailable if the hookup was as shown in FIG. 2. In such an instance, thepost member 16 can be removed from the end of tube 14 as shown in FIGS.1-3 and the frame 11 and forks 13 turned over so as to insert the postmember 16 within the opposite end of the sleeve 14. Otherwise the FIG. 6hookup is identical to that shown in FIG. 2, with the pin 17 in placeand the hydraulic cylinder 32 pivotally connected to the plate 28 and tothe top point 33 of the three point hitch 21. This allows an additionallift of approximately the distance between the pins 27 of the laterallyextending frame 11 and the level of the longitudinally extending forks13. The conventional hookup bar 23 may also be used instead of the tiltcontrol cylinder 32 as shown in the FIG. 6 connection, by merely pullingthe post member 16 from the sleeve 14 and turning it 180 degrees suchthat the clevis-like structure 29 faces forwardly instead of the plate28.

It can therefore be seen from the above description that the presentinvention is an extremely versatile device which is adapted to nearlyany agricultural transporting situation. Additionally, even largehaystacks may be moved from place to place by modifying the structureshown in FIGS. 1-7 and 9 by adding additional forks 13 as shown in FIG.8.

Obviously many other modifications and variations of the presentinvention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is thereforeto be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, theinvention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

We claim:
 1. An item transporting device, adapted to be connected to atractor three point hitch of the type having two parallel draft armswith rearwardly extending ends and a fixed pivotal point above andbetween the draft arms, comprising:a laterally extending frame; at leastone longitudinally extending fork lift member attached to said frame andextending rearwardly therefrom; first means for pivotally connecting theframe to the rearwardly extending ends of the draft arms; a connectionmember pivotally connected at one end thereof to the fixed pivotal pointof the three point hitch; and second means connected to said frame,above said first means, for pivotally connecting the other end of saidconnection member to said frame, said second means comprising:a sleeveconnected to said frame; a post member slidably received in one end ofsaid sleeve; means for releasably fixing the position of said postmember with respect to said sleeve; and an apertured forwardly extendingplate affixed to one end of said post member pivotally connected to saidconnection member.
 2. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein a clevisextends on the opposite side of the post member; andsaid post member hasmeans thereon for selectively allowing 180° repositioning of said postmember with respect to said sleeve.
 3. The device as defined in claim 1including means for permitting the post member to be received in theother end of the sleeve.
 4. The device as defined in claim 1 whereinsaid first means is vertically spaced from said fork lift member.
 5. Thedevice as defined in claim 1 wherein said connection member comprises ahydraulic cylinder.